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There are two kinds of people in the world: those who play Super Smash Bros.
games as a competitive sport and those who enjoy them as party games
meant to be played with friends. If you’re the first type, then you
definitely care about things like lag and frame rates, and this post
will read as blasphemy to you. But if you’re the second, and you’re
looking for a way to make using a 17-year-old controller a little more
enjoyable while playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on your Switch in 2018, you probably want 8BitDo’s GBros. adapter.
What is it?
Announced last month ahead of the launch of Ultimate,
the GBros. is a pretty simple adapter that features a GameCube
controller input on one end and a Wii controller plug on the other (for
use with the wired NES Classic, SNES Classic, and Wii Classic
controllers). Plug in your retro controller, turn it on, and you can
connect it to a Switch (or a Windows PC) so you can use your favorite
wired controllers wirelessly with Nintendo’s newest console.
The good
I used the GBros. over the weekend to play Smash Bros.
on my Switch, and it’s great. Setup is simple: switch it to whatever
controller mode you’d like to use (S for Switch, X for Windows), press
and hold the yellow pairing button to turn it on, and connect it just
like you would any other wireless controller. Once connected, it’ll work
just like a native Switch controller, minus the two extra triggers.
(Cleverly, 8BitDo uses the green Star button and red Heart button on the
GBros. to replace the Home and Screenshot buttons that would otherwise
be missing from a GameCube controller.)
Once you’re set up, the GBros. just works. Again, I’m sure Smash
pros will have complaints about wireless latency on a frame or
millisecond level. But for my casual enjoyment, it was a welcome
solution to stringing a GameCube controller cord across my living room
again, like Nintendo’s official USB adapter would require. Additionally,
the GBros. has the added bonus of working with a Switch in handheld and
tabletop modes, unlike the USB adapter, which only works with the TV
dock. This means I can prop up my Switch on a nightstand and use my
trusty GameCube controller from the comfort of my bed.
And while using the GBros. to make a GameCube controller
wireless in my living room is mostly a convenience (given my setup), for
users with larger spaces who don’t have easy access to their TVs, it’ll
be even more useful.
The bad
Unfortunately, the GBros. needs disposable batteries to
work. According to 8BitDo, the GBros. should get up to 30 hours of play
time off of a pair of AA batteries, which I haven’t quite been able to
put to the test yet. But in a world of wireless, rechargeable
controllers, digging up a pair of AAs feels a bit outdated.
The other issue is the price: at $19.99, a single GBros.
costs as much as Nintendo’s wired adapter, which supports up to four
controllers at once. That means you’ll be fine if you want to pick up
one or two, but if you’re looking to build a full party game setup,
it’ll get pricey pretty fast — especially considering that you’ll still
need to buy GameCube controllers on top of that (if you don’t already
own them).
Also, as one odd quirk — due to how the Switch handles
controller inputs, the L and R buttons on the GameCube controller
function as Switch L and R buttons, when you’ll actually want them
mapped to the ZR and ZL triggers, but that’s nothing a quick trip to the
controller settings menu built into Smash Bros won’t fix.
Should you buy it?
If you’re looking to play Smash Bros. mostly for
single-player content or if you have a larger living room (and aren’t
concerned with wireless performance), then definitely give it a try.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to play with larger
groups of friends and you either already have or intend to get a pile of
GameCube controllers to go with it, then you’re probably better off
with Nintendo’s wired dock. Just make sure that no one accidentally
trips over the cords during the match.
